Seeing Diabetes education in the North

by Karina Hunter  

The Canadian National Institue for the Blind Eye Van (CNIB) has partnered with the Northern Diabetes Health Network (NDHN) in an initiative being funded by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care to bring screening and education about diabetes, a disease which can contribute to serious eye problems and even blindness, to people in northern communities without the same access to services available in larger centres.  

Starting this Spring, the CNIB Eye Van will offer diabetes screening and education to remote communities it visits in Northern Ontario, currently 30 towns in all.  

“We really feel this is a melding of two very important initiatives,” said Susan Griffis, Chief Executive Officer of the Diabetes Network. “We’ve been seeing a lot of success with the initiative.”

 The partnership was developped when Joanne Potter, a Certified Diabetes Eductor (CDE) was with the eye van in Engleheart this March for a week-long visit and she realized about 73% of those coming to the eye van also visited the diabetes network staff onsite.   

The van is staffed by a rotating team of 25 visiting ophthalmologists and two CNIB ophthalmic assistants and provides vision screening, treatments and minor surgery to an average of 5,000 people every season.

 Risk assessment was done, to establish if those visiting the eye van were at high risk of developing diabetes. 40% of those being seen in Englehart had diabetes and the majority of others were at risk of having or developing the disease. Many of those being seen by the CNIB are at risk developing diabetes and have never been tested; now they will have access to needed services. Great news says Jackie Jung, CDE, RN from the Manitouwadge Diabetes Health and Wellness Program “We are thrilled with the announcement what has been an informal partnership between the CNIB and NDHN programs for many years will now be expanding thanks to funding from the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care” said Jung adding that “We have been referring clients with diabetes to the CNIB Eye Van for many years because of the recognized risks of eye problems associated with diabetes so this seems a natural progression of that”. 

LEARN MORE

• Visit CNIB webiste
• Visit NDHN Website

Fast Facts About CNIB

• Founded in 1918, CNIB has become one of the world’s largest private agencies committed to vision health issues.
• Nine out of ten people who come to CNIB have some degree of vision.
• CNIB is one of Canada’s oldest charitable organizations and receives its funding through the generous support of individuals, corporations, governments and other funders.
• CNIB employs approximately 1,100 professionals across Canada, working in the fields of service and support, library services, research, advocacy, public education, accessible design consulting, fundraising and administration.
• These dedicated individuals are supported by more than 10,000 volunteers working in all regions of the country.
• CNIB is governed by a volunteer board of directors, selected from across Canada, including representatives from the corporate, medical and government sectors, as well as individuals affected by vision loss.